Action Photography | Sense of Movement

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Joy of Childhood | KLCC Park | ISO 100 | 1/20 | F 18 | Lens 10-20mm

First of all I would like to let you know that this is not a Photoshop effect or tricks even though I know how to do it in Photoshop but this action shot, with a sense of movement and blurred background is done right in the camera. I’ve to try many times to get this shot right, I mean to get my son face in focus, not too blurred, you cannot get super sharp image while panning but the point is to get the face of the subject in focus. Using UWA or Ultra Wide Angle Lens like 10-20mm is not the ideal choice for panning but I like to give it a try, I like the challenge and when I get it right, I’m happy with the result.

Sometimes static photograph with no sense of movement can be boring, yes sometimes we need to freeze the action but sometimes it is good to share a little bit of movement, a sense of movement and in this case, a sense of joy hood and happiness of  a child playing at the park. This shot called panning shot where you follow the movement of the subject with your camera while pressing the shutter button.

It is not easy to get it right the very first time, first make sure your shutter is slow, I start with 1/30 sec and go slower if possible, for this shot I use 1/20 sec and after many attempt, only this one stick, I mean my son face is clear in focus. Why do you need to use slow speed? Why don’t use faster shutter speed like 1/1000, simply if you use fast shutter speed  like 1/1000, the action will be stopped, will be freeze and there is no sense of movement. When we use slow shutter seed like like 1/20 sec, we have a little bit longer exposure to “follow” our subject with the camera, we called it panning, where we follow the movement of the subject.

So how to get this done, first let’s start with 1/30 or 1/20 sec as a starting point but it is good to keep your shutter below 1/50 sec. I use f18 because I shot my son playing at the open area, it was very hot but if you take this shot under shade area, maybe you can open the aperture a bit more but  let’s keep the shutter slow. First focus on the subject, do not press the shutter button just yet, when your subject moves, follow it with your camera, just make sure your camera doesn’t go up and down, just keep it parallel with the subject, after you follow the movement halfway then press the shutter and keep on following your subject even though you already press the shutter. Remember this, first focus on your subject, lock the focus by pressing your shutter halfway, do not release the shutter just yet, follow your subject and press the shutter at the middle of the action and after you press the shutter keep on panning another halfway.

Still confuse, let say, my son move from point A, B to point C. I lock my focus at point A, the starting point I did not Press the shutter just yet, just lock the focus by pressing the shutter halfway, then my son move to point B, at this point I release or press the shutter button fully and the picture is taken but I keeps on panning with my camera until my son reach point C. The point to remember is that not to press the shutter button at the start of the movement or the end of the actions but press the shutter at the “middle” of the movement.

It wasn’t that easy and you probably won’t get it right the first time but then again if it were easy everybody can do it, but actually everyone can get it right with lot’s of practice and never stopped until you nailed it. Sports photographers are very expert at this panning shit especially during F1 Grand Prix, bicycle racing, they even use panning shot for 100 meters sprint, the legs of the athlete will be blurred off course but the head is sharp or clear in focus. Once in awhile it is good to experiment with slow speed, give our picture a little bit of sense of movement, add drama and action into it. Have fun trying.

Get The Secret HERE